Student Life Committee Minutes
November 9, 2000
Present: M. Babin, K. Bartanen, J. Jasinski, T. Jones, D. Kelley, G. Proehl, A. Tullis, C.
Washburn. Absent: B. Broek
The meeting came to order at 8:05. Approval of the minutes of October 26 was deferred to the
next meeting.
The committee turned to continued work on its charge related to campus information and
communication. Jasinski reviewed with the committee plans agreed upon at the prior meeting for
compilation of survey information from freshman advising groups. Jasinski will continue to collect
completed surveys and then distribute them among members at the November 30 meeting for
compilation and discussion at the first meeting of spring term.
The committee then considered means of gathering information from resident assistants and from
upper division students. Washburn commented on the importance of redundancy of print or webbased information and information available from people. Babin concurred, noting that for some
students, directing them to a print source is like telling someone who doesn’t know how to spell a
word to look it up in the dictionary; they need direction in how to find the information they need.
Jasinski asked whether information about campus communication gathered by the committee
could be useful in resident assistant training. Bartanen and Babin responded affirmatively, with
Bartanen noting that other peer training programs—e.g., those for peer advisers, orientation
leaders, and the like—could also be informed by the committee’s findings.
After additional brainstorming, the committee agreed to ask resident assistants to respond briefly
to two questions: What are the three most common questions you are asked by students on your
floor? What is the most difficult question that you’ve been asked? Babin will notify area
coordinators Debbie Chee and Kyla McLeod of the SLC request for this information from RA
meetings during the week of November 13; Bartanen will discuss the request with Marta
Palmquist-Cady. Jasinski will send written request forms to Chee and McLeod on November 13.
The committee then discussed means of gaining information about campus communications from
upper division students and what kinds of questions might be most productive, given different
information needs of these students. The committee will focus on the content of a short survey
and a process for its administration, most likely via a random distribution during peak hours in
Wheelock Student Center, at the next meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Kris Bartanen